Two Features from Brooklyn Horror Film Festival 2023

By Daniel Mendes, TheCinebuff.com

“Claustrophobic,” “atmospheric,” and “nasty” are but a few words to describe Mary Dauterman’s Booger, an intimate look at grief. After the death of her friend Izzy, Anna (Grace Glowicki) begins to mentally and physically unravel as she tries to make sense of her loss while also finding her cat “Booger,” who’s gone missing. Dauterman’s use of pacing gives the film ample time to build tension. Grace Glowicki’s slow descent into madness and grief gives this film its strong emotional center. Booger wears its heart on its sleeve. It’s a moving and intimate story of grief and letting go.

The film follows Charley as he tries to come to terms with his alcoholism as well as his inner animal. Blackout is a character drama, a horror flick, and a social commentary on class struggle. While the film doesn’t always juggle all these themes seamlessly, it works best when focusing on Alex Hurt who shines as Charley. Despite its grand ambitions, Blackout delivers solid scares, stomach-churning gore, and a compelling lead character.

This year’s Brooklyn Horror Film Festival is running today and tomorrow. For more information, visit the festival website.

Originally published at http://behindtherabbitproductions.wordpress.com on October 18, 2023.